Dreamer

Or perhaps the dreamer's dream.

yes, dreamer... You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one...

the picture, yes, excellent find Jack, a find with true surreal pedigree and I love it for the pure strangeness. Still I consider excluding all but the actual window frame, the window frame that contains the surreal human doll. Obviously a completely subjective thing, and I risk that it is also a delicate thing for anyone to presume authority to intrude on how another artist sees things, but then you and I been buds for quite a time Jack and I think all that time we’ve known one another has cemented, (in my mind at least), kindred sensibilities that allow for privileges, such as pondering aloud over one another’s work.

I like it, may be tighter crop on right side.

Great find!

Jack, admittedly I can't surpass in any way how Carlos stated his comments.  I must add, though, another observation - in question form.  Is the little girl looking out at us, or are we looking in at her?  Is it possible for a mutual dynamic to occur?  

 

Brilliant, mind-wrenching work....  A fave

Nice one.  For some reason, it has a Stepford quality. OK, I'll bite on Carlos's suggestion.  Carlos, I agree that by now we should be able to make, accept, and reject suggestions all in the spirit of shared photographic sensibility with sometimes differing visions. I could see this working in another's portfolio as you suggest quite well. But I think as is it's just a little more Jack. I say that because I think leaving a fair amount of context and negative space here actually gives this a chance to be what it is.  Jack tends to see more in what's actually there and I think framed this way we get to do just that. Photos do often have a way of isolating subjects from their contexts and thereby providing a twist of sorts. I think Jack's work often finds what's droll even within its context and, for me, this photo as is accomplishes that.  As a matter of fact the amount of additional frame Jack's framing provides may just be a way of understating the idea.  Jack is so often the master of understatement, of showing those curiosities others may miss but not usually exaggerating the curiousness.  In that sense, Jack is on the lookout and we are on the lookout via his lens. He's not as much on the make.  Framing this down just to the window frame would eliminate some of that dry, textural geometry so seemingly at home in Jack's pix.  I think it might focus us to a greater degree than necessary in the more casual world Jack usually captures. Again, I think it would be an equally interesting picture the way you're suggesting, just not as Jackish, IMO.

Well done , Jack!!

Regards,

Mário

This is just another miracle from the magician.  Pretty special again... like many from Jack's wonderful work!

To be as succinct as your image... "Pinocchio's Sister"... Mike

Jack,

  Wonderful image that only you would see.  Great fine!! Take care, Patsy

It is enigmatic and has a touching nostalgic beauty. The displacement of corner of the window to a less obvious position in the composition brings an extra artsy dimension.

Regards,

ricardo

Dolls heads are creepy. Nice composition and nice textures.

The negative space gives room for thought.  It's essential.  It combats ideational claustrophobia.

I have a dream, that one day this site will rise up and live out the true meaning of photography,,,,,as a kind of fine art,,,like painting,,,sculpture,,making its own ism,,,,,nn

the dreamer.. the layers here.. frame after frame upon frame.. the world of reality an of dreams of truth and lies.. this has to be one of my all time favorite photos on this site.. its so powerful.. hats off to the master

“Framing this down just to the window frame would eliminate some of that dry, textural geometry so seemingly at home in Jack's pix.”… And it is the dry textural geometry precisely what doesn’t work for me here Fred. I agree it fits better with the droll whimsy that stamps much of Jack’s work. I have forever been a fan of his ability to capture the telling amusing observation, as have you and many others. But I see this here frame as straying from that family of images, not just another quirky moment, rather more in line with some of Jack’s classic imagery.
This is a beautifully odd evocative surprising photograph that brings us the universal poetic nostalgia we all get when looking out at the world from behind a window on an overcast rainy day, it’s a real feeling we recognize here, only its coming at us in the guise of a doll, appearing indeed as if in a dream, and to quote --- a doll that appears more human than human --- makes for an overall strange artifice that resonates at a deeper level photographically. There is something here to celebrate and to me the negative space is too obvious an affectation that detracts from the story line of the title, a title which I’m sure is in keeping with the emotional connection that moved the artist to click the shutter in the first place. Jack made subsequent pp choices and these are be respected; only here I'm not buying.

now, if I was as lucky as to have Dreamer on my wall, it would look something like this…  

Thanks for you further explanation. I think it's great to have such a disagreement because it allows for the articulation of different visions which can be important to our learning and growing. I miss these sorts of considered discussions, which used to be a more regular feature of critique pages, and hearing about different ways of seeing. For me, it's not about which way is right or even better, but about sharing ways of approaching a scene, reading a photo or producing an image. I mean it. Thanks for the engagement. 

Thanks for your comments on this picture. It seems to have given rise to some extended discussion, especially between Carlos and Fred, who happen to be among my favorite commentators. Carlos' reworking of the picture is just as good in its own way; I notice that I usually leave in part of the wall or background to provide context. Maybe I'm saying something like "this isn't me; I didn't do this, it was just there, see" even though I know in my heart that it was very much me for better or worse. Maybe it's kind of a shell game with my audience, I don't know. Having said that, once a picture is posted, it's pretty much on its own and I refer back to it more for the pleasure of reading the responses, so in this case it has to rank as a success. It's the sense of community that I'm after for the very selfish reason that it invigorates me, reconnects me with other creative people, especially now that I'm in my 70's and it's easy to settle into a more solitary "snooze mode". The pictures themselves are not that important; when I have posted them they have already become kind of keepsakes, passing artifacts of the times, and my attachment to them is minimal though I'm curious about peoples reaction (or non reaction). Sometimes I look back through old folders and come on a shot that still makes me laugh or one I think "that was pretty good" but it's almost like I'm looking at someone else's pictures. The pictures themselves have no more intrinsic value than snapshots in a family album but the sparks they strike, the comments from talented individuals I respect, are what's important to me. In the damp woods of old(er) age, they strike the sparks that help to keep the creative fires burning.

Appropriate title ... dreamer, the eyes and the lips do exude a dream. If I may, after the giants have spoken, imho the wall and only along the two sides is a necessity here. I would have done the same. If the face was much bigger relative to the window, one might think of framing only the window. Compliments -koushik

Dreaming?.....Drowning!! Holding her breath under water, hair floating up from the bottom....expression? Seems nostalgic rather than frightened being where she is, just looking into the distance for something or someone disappearing into the distance.....My my.....your photography is certainly deeper than one would think! The truly masterful touch, IMHO (well there are many, but...) is the framing and composition. After just concentrating and focusing on the doll's face trying to fathom meaning, it is disconcerting to look at the window and wall, and good disconcerting. Quite unique!

All the best.

DG

Thanks for the comments on this picture. That's a good observation, Koushik about the relative size of the face and my decision to leave the wall in the picture. I would probably compose it the same way again. Daniel, I like what you said about drowning. My first impression was of a mermaid but I didn't think there was enough there to float the story. However this still seems like an underwater scene to me.

This makes me think of the Speilberg movie, "A.I. Artificial Intelligence," one of the saddest films I've ever seen. The mannequin appears so "real", like she could actually dream and desire.

Of course this grabbed my attention. 

 

I get Carlos' suggestion (and agree that it is good to be able to feel free to make suggestions) and see it as one of those subjective decisions.  My only hesitation is that such strict framing almost points up the doll head too much.  But does that make it more powerful?  Or claustrophobic as has been said?

A view to the outside world. What's it like? It's just a fantastic puzzle for the mind to ponder, Jack. There are so many variables to consider. An outstanding image that puts the mind to the test. Excellent composition and presentation. A really interesting and imaginative work. Best regards, Paul.

Thanks, Paul. Appreciate you going through my portfolio and leaving a comment. Old pictures usually tend to languish in obscurity once their day is done.